Rotary internal-combustion engine



.E. L. HEITZ.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, i919.

lPatelned Mar. 2, 1920.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I E. L. Hmz., ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION NGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6| |919. Y

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

EDWARD L. HEITZ, 0F S'I. LOUIS, MISSOURI, `ASSIGPNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO FRANK W. EILEBMANN, 0F ONE-TENTH TO WILLIAM MUGUIBE, AAND ONELTENTH T0 ALBERT W.

JAEGER, ALL 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Hnrrz, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rotary Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which lit appertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to new andl useful improvements in internal combustion engines of the rotary type, the principal ob- ]ects of my invention eing to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of rotary internal combustion engines; to provide a relatively simple and efficient rotary engine that derives its power from the combustion and consequent expansion of combustible vapors, the power of such combustion being applied directly to the periphery ofthe rotor of the engine; to provide simple and eilicient means operated directly from the engine shaft for compressing the combustible vapors in the ignition chambers of the engine; and, further, to provide a rotary engine which can be very economically operatedL and which engine, by vlrtue of its size and' construction, can be advantageously employed wherever high speed rotary motion is desirable and particularly upon motor vehicles, motor boats, aeroplanes and the like.

With the-foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement-of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompany-- ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational v1ew of a rotary internal combustion engine of my improved construction, parts thereof being broken away and in section.

Fi 2 is a detailv section taken approximate y on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is an enlarged detail section showingv ne packing means employed between the rotor and the inner face of the wall of mately on the line aof Fig. 5.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application led September 6, 1919. Serial No. 322,081.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10, 10 designate the side walls of the housing or casing of the en ine, and 1l the peripheral wall thereof, t e latter being provided with a chamber 12 for a circulating cooling medium such as water.

Formed in the peripheral wall 12 at diametrically disposed points thereupon are elongated combustion chambers 13, the 'same being tangentially disposed with respect to the inner periphery of the wall 11 and seated in the walls of these combustion chambers are ordinary spark plugs 14. Formed through the wall 11 immediately adjacent to these combustion chambers 13 are exhaust openings 15.

Arranged for slidingl movement in suitable guideways formed in the walls 10 and 11 near the forward portion of each combustion phamber 13 is a plate 16 whichl performs the functions of a valve in that it closes the forward end of the combustion chamber when the combustible gases are being compressed therein and said plate being withdrawn to permit the force of the exploded vapors to pass outwardly into the rotor chamber. Each of these plates is provided with a centrally arranged stein 17 that projects outwardly through a bearing formed in wall 11, the outer end of said stem being provided with a head 18, and there being an expansive coil spring 19 arranged on said stem beneath said head. The pressure normally exerted by this spring tends to move the plate 16 into open position.

Fulcrumed on the engine casing adjacent to each stem 17 is a short lever 20, the inner end thereof bearing against the head 18 of the corresponding stem and the outer end of each lever is engaged by a push rod 21, the latter-being mounted for sliding movement in suitable bearings 22 that are formed on compression cylinders 23 and which latter are formed on or fixed to one of the side walls 10 of the engine casing adjacent to the combustion chambers 13.

The inner ends of the push rods 21 carry rollers 24 which latter bear directly against the peripheries of a cam 25 having high and low portions and which cam is fixed on a crank shaft 26a. This crank shaft 26a has i its inner end mounted in a bearing formed in one end of the engine shaft 26 and the outer end of said crank shaft is journaled in a suitable bearing formed on a bracket26b that is fixed to and projects outwardly from the engine housing. Carried by the engine shaft 26 within the housing of the engine is a rotor 27 provided in its periphery with a series of elongated ockets 28 each of which is provided at its orward end with a face 29 which is radially disposed with respect to the axis of the rotor.

Arranged for slidin movement in the eripheral portion of t e rotor and immeiately adjacent to'andparallel with the faces 29 at the forward ends of the pockets 28 are packing plates 30, the outer ends of which are adapted to bear against the inner surface of the wall 11 of the engine casing. Seated in the lower portions of packing plates 30 are rods '31 and bearing againstv the lower ends thereof are expansive coil springs such as 32. These lsprings tend to normally maintain `the outer ends of the lates 30 in close contact with the inner suraces of' the wall 11 of the engine casing, thereby providing an e'ective packing be: tween the peripheral pockets 28 and by providing the rods 31 between said packing plates and the springs 32, the transmission of heat to said springs is minimized, with the result that said springs will have longer life or longer periods of service than if they were in direct Contact with the packing plates30.

Arranged for `operation in the cylinders 23 are pistons 33 and the piston rods 34 that are associated with said pistons are connected to a crank 35 on the shaft 261. Fixed on the outer end of the engine shaft 26 is a pinion A which meshes with a pinion B, the gear ratio between said pinions being two to one and said pinion B being fixed on shaft C that is journaled in a suitable bracket D. The rotary motion of shaft C is transmitted to crank shaft 26a by conjoined pinions 37, one of which is Xed on shaft D and the other on crank shaft 26a. An electric spark timing device 36 is supported in any suitable manner on the engine casing and is driven from shaft C by suitable beveled pinions E. This timing device receives current from a suitable source of supply, preferably a storage battery 38 and leading from said timing device to the spark plugs 14 are conductors 39. A'carbureter 40 of any desired construction is supported on the lower portion of the engine housing and leading therefrom to chambers 41 at the outer ends of the compression cylinders 32 are combustiblevapor supply pipes 42.

Formed through the walls of the cylinders .between the chambers 41 and the compression chambers within said cylinders are apertures 42 that are normally lclosed by spring-held inlet valves 43. Formed at the 'outer ends of the cylinders 23 adjacent to the pockets 41 are ockets 44, the same communicating direct y .with the combustion chambers 13 and formed through thel walls that separate these pockets 44 from the compression chambers withi'n the cylinders 23 are openin 45 that are normally closed by spring-hel outlet valves 46.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows:

Combustible vapor is drawn alternately into the compression cylinders 23 upon the suction stroke of the pistons 33, such combustible vapor passing from carbureter 40 through pipes 42 into the pockets 41 and from thence through the openings 42 as the inlet valves 43 are drawn into open positions as a result of suction produced by said pistons 33.

On the opposite tir-compression strokes of said pistons, the charges of combustible vapor drawn into the cylinders 23 will be partially compressed therein. and the pressure thus produced will force valves 46 open and said charges will be forced into and compressed in the combustion chambers 13, it being understood that during this compressing of the combustible gases, the plates 16 at the forward ends of the combustion chambers are closed.

llmmediately after the point of highest compression of the combustible charges, the timing device 36 acts to .produce a s ark between the terminals of plug 14 there y igniting the compressed charge and at the same time the roller 24 on the inner endof the corresponding push rod 21 rides Ionto the low portion of the corresponding cam, thereby permitting the spring- 19 on the corresponding stem of the valve plate 16 to act to open said valve plate and the force of the explosion and the expansion of the combustible gases will escape from the combustion chamber and pass outwardly therefrom directly against the radially disposed faces 29 at the ends of pockets 28.

It is contemplated that th rotor of my improved engine will have'a normal speed of several hundred revolutions per minute and consequently the peripheral s eed of said rotor will be comparatively hig The plate valve 16 will maintain its o'pen positions as long as the corresponding roller is on the low portion of thecorres onding cam 25 and this open pressure of said valve permits all of the force of the explosion and the expansion 0f the exploded gases to be directed outwardly onto a number of the radial faces 29 at the ends of the pockets 28 and this impact or force will drive the rotor at relatively high speed and with considerable power.

cylinders and two combustion chambers and the crank shaft 26a is driven at twice the speed of the rotor, there will be four eXplosions of combustible charges for each complete revolution. of the rotor, and consequently the power developed by the engine will be practically continuous. The burnt gases or products of combustion from the engine find exit through the exhaust openings 15.

An engine of my improved construction is comparatively simple in construction and operation, can be easily and cheaply manufactured, and is particularly effective wherever the economical production of high speed rotary motion is desired.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of niy improved engine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. In an engine, a rotor provided in its periphery with pockets, each of which pockets is provided at one end with a tangentially disposed face, a housing for said rotor, there being elongated combustion chambers formed in said housing, which combustion chambers are tangentially disposed with respect to the periphery ofthe rotor. normally open spring-held valves arranged adjacent to the forward ends of said combustion chambers, means adapted to be actuated by the shaft of the rotor for closing said valves, cylinders adjacent to said combustion chambers, valves controlling communication between the chambers in said cylinders and said combustion chambers, and means including pistons operating in said .cylinders and adapted to be actuated by the shaft of the rotor for compressing combustible gases in said combustion chambers.

2. In an engine of the class described, a rotor provided in its periphery with pockets, each of which is provided at one end with a radially disposed face, a housing for said rotor. said housing being provided with a pair of. oppositely disposed combustion chambers, the forward ends of which communicate with the rotor chamber in the housing, normally open spring-held valves mounted adjacent to the forward ends of said combustion chambers for controlling the escape of combustible vapors from said combustion chambers, and there being exhaust openings formed in the engine housing adjacent to the rear ends of said combustion chambers.`

3. 1n an engine of the class described, 'a housing, a shaft journaled therein, a rotoi carried by said shaft, the periphery of which rotor is provided with 'a series of ockcts, each having a radially disposed ace at one end, there being elongated combustion chambers formed i1?- said housing, which combustion chambers are tangentially disposed with respect to the periphery of the rotor, 'compression' cylinders arranged on the engine housing, normally closed spring-held valves controlling the passage of compressed vapor from said compression cylinders to the combustion chambers, means adapted to be actuated by the engine shaft for opening said valves, there being exhaust ports formed in the en ginehousing adjacent to the rear ends of the elongated combustion chambers, and means adapted to be actuated by the engine shaft for compressing combustible vapor in said compression cylinders.

4. In an engine of the class described, a housing, a shaft journaled therein, a rotor carried by said shaft and provided in its periphery with pockets each of which is provided with a radially disposed face at one end, there being. an elongated combustion chamber formed in the annular wall of the engine housing, which combustion chamber is tangentially disposed with respect to the periphery of the rotor, and a spring-pressed plate adapted to close the forward end of said combustion chamber.

5. In an'engine of the class described, a housing, a shaft journaled therein, a rotor carried by said shaft and provided in its periphery with pockets each of which is provided with a radially disposed face at one end, there being an elongated combustion chamber formed in the annular Wall of the engine housing, which combustion chamber is tangentially disposed with respect to the periphery of the rotor, a spring-presse plate adapted to close the forward end of said combustion chamber, and means adapted to be actuated by the engine shaft for controlling the opening movement of said plate.

6. 1n an engine of the class described, a housing, a shaft journaled therein, a rotor carried by said shaft and provided in its periphery with pockets each of which is provided with a radially disposed face at one end, there being an elongated combustion chamber formed in the annular wall of the engine housing, which combustion chamber is tangentially disposed with respect to the peripheryl of the rotor, a spring-pressed plate adapted to close the forward end of said combustion chamber, means adapted to be actuated 'by the engine shaft for controlling the opening movement of said plate, and means actuated by the shaft of the engine for compressing combustible vapors in said combustion chamber.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature this 3d day of September, 1919.

EDWARD L. HEITZ. 

